


You Feel Like Home

by Mazzeroo



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Daenerys Targaryen is Deaf, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fudge (OC) - Freeform, Ghost is a Good Boy (ASoIaF), Jon Snow is a Rescue Swimmer, Jonerys Secret Santa, Jonerys Secret Santa 2019, Meereen, Modern Royalty, POV Multiple, Romantic Soulmates, Targaryen Family Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22041622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazzeroo/pseuds/Mazzeroo
Summary: “Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow are soulmates. Usually that means what one writes on their arm also appears on the arm of the other. But, nothing has ever shown on Dany’s arm. Her mom says it might mean her soulmate is blind. What Dany’s never told anyone, though, is she instead has Jon’s voice singing in her head. So what does she do when one day the singing abruptly stops?”
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 25
Kudos: 117





	You Feel Like Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zavocado](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zavocado/gifts).



> This was written for Zavocado, as part of the Jonerys Secret Santa even on tumblr. 
> 
> You gave me free hands to write whatever fic I felt like writing and when I suggested a Soulmate AU your response was positively pure childish excitement. A good friend of mine told me very recently that I come up with some of the weirdest ideas in town which of course I took as a compliment, and having been given free hands by you I took my crazy idea and ran with it.
> 
> If it matters, the fic is un-beta’ed and written in a language which isn’t my mother-tongue. In other words, I’ll proudly own up to all grammatical and spelling errors, typos and weirdly phrased sentences - as well as any and all plot-holes :) 
> 
> Disclaimer: No, I'm not deaf or hard-of-hearing myself nor do I know anyone who is. I only have a character being deaf because it worked for the concept of my story. This is an AU thus not everything is meant to be 100% accurate. If I offend anyone with my portrait of a deaf Dany I apologize.

_"Souls tend to go back to who feels like home._ " ― N.R. Hart

**\--- RHAEGAR ---**

"Papa, look!" From her vantage point upon his shoulders, his daughter's chubby little hand padded his head with unbridled excitement, pulling his hair in the direction she pointed. "—a man is sitting with a black bear!"  
  
"Careful sweetheart, it hurts when you pull like that," he chuckled.  
  
"Sorry, papa."  
  
Rhaegar placed a soft kiss in the palm of her little hand, "apology accepted, little one."  
  
Standing at the quiet end of the harbour, he and Rhaenys were watching the storm over Dragon's Bay. Out on the horizon, the sky was painted shades of pink, violet and indigo; a beautiful contrast to the wall of charcoal-coloured clouds looming over Meereen. Perched up high on her daddy's shoulders little Rhaenys giggled and jerked with excitement every time lightning cracked the sky open over the dark, unruly waters.  
  
The Crown Prince of Valyria and Dragon's Bay was fascinated with storms. The air is heavy and humid. The atmosphere tinkling with electricity. It reminded him of the night his beloved baby sister was born. Named the worst storm in living memory; it'd wrecked havoc all along the shoreline of Dragon's Bay — smashed fleets, fallen forests, flooded towns, damaged crops. He'd been a boy of ten and the heartbreaking destruction revealed by the morning light was forever burned into his memory. Their mother jested their little Dany should've come with a storm warning. Their father simply stated there's a rainbow after every storm. And Vis, well the poor child had taken refuge in his big brother's bed seeking comfort in Rhaegar's protective embrace.  
  
Next to him Grey Worm choked down a laugh. "That isn't a bear, Princess; that's a dog."  
  
"It looks like a bear."  
  
"A small bear."  
  
"Big dog," Rhaenys countered stubbornly.  
  
Rhaegar exchanged an amused look with his young Captain.  
  
"Correct, but really he's just a big soft teddy-bear."  
  
"Pinky swear?"  
  
"Pinky swear." Grey Worn reached his hand up to the Princess to partake in that most sacred of promises.  
  
Though still young, Grey was an outstanding soldier and leader, and seeing the relationship he had developed with little Nys warmed Rhaegar's heart. Grey continued to prove himself as the right choice for Princess Rhaenys' personal guard. Since her birth four years ago he'd been by her side more or less every day - and the two adored each other.  
  
As for himself, he had had Barristan by his side his whole life, and Rhaegar considered him almost a second father. Barristan knew things about him that - he hoped - his parents didn't know of. At all. Some things are only between a Prince, his bodyguard - and a number of girls with forgettable names and faces... Rhaegar cast a glance over his shoulder knowing he'd find Barristan at a respectable distance ready to divert any unwanted persons getting too close for the old guard's liking.  
  
"Since you seem to know the big soft teddy-bear, maybe you would introduce us?" Rhaegar cast a glance at Grey and nodded slightly towards the young man and his dog sitting further out on the jetty.  
  
"With pleasure, Sir." Grey's face lit up with a smile which Rhaegar knew mirrored Nys' excitement at the prospect of meeting 'the bear'.  
  
Making their way down the wooden jetty, Rhaegar gave Grey a puzzled look as he asked, "is he singing?"  
  
Grey smiled. "The men in his unit call him 'the Bard', Sir."  
  
It was so unexpected Rhaegar couldn't help but laugh catching the young man's attention.   
  
He'd been sitting on the edge of the jetty, his feet dangling in the water, scratching his dog's stomach. Though, as soon as his eyes caught the sight of Grey he and the dog were immediately on their feet.  
  
"Captain Grey!"  
  
"Lieutenants." Grey answered with a curt nod to each.  
  
Reaching its owner at hip-height, Rhaegar had to admit the animal was even more impressive up close. Despite the dog's intimidating size it's kind eyes told him there wasn't a bad bone in it.  
  
"Good evening." Rhaegar stepped forward, greeting the young Lieutenant with a handshake. "I'm Rhae and this is my daughter Nys. We apologise for interrupting the two of you, but someone saw you and wanted to meet the bear."  
  
The Lieutenant flashed a big smile. "Good evening, Sir," he looked up, "and young Lady."  
  
Rhaenys giggled.  
  
"I'm Jon Snow and this super-sized teddy-bear is Ghost."  
  
"May I pet him?"  
  
"He'll love it if you do."  
  
Lifted down from her daddy's shoulders, Rhaenys stood face to face with Ghost. Despite the two being at eye level she showed no signs of worry. The little Princess slid her fingers through dog's thick black fur.  
  
"He's so soft, Papa. Just like a real teddy-bear!"  
  
Ghost leaned in to the little girl's touch.  
  
"He and Fudge would make good friends."  
  
Without waiting for a response she followed Ghost as he laid down on the wooden jetty, and gave him a good double-handed scratching on his belly.  
  
"Fudge?" Jon ask lightly.  
  
"It's my sister's hearing dog. A little cocker the colour of fudge."  
  
"Ah!" Jon laughed. "Another working dog. Yeah, think Ghost would like a buddy to swap stories with about us silly humans."  
  
As they laughed, Rhaegar gestured towards Barristan who was still keeping his distance, "—and that is my personal guard, Commander Selmy."  
  
Jon's eyes had brief flare of recognition as he turned and greeted Barristan with a silent nod.  
  
"If you don't mind me saying so, Lieutenant," Rhaegar inquired, "your boy seems a bit large for a K9 unit."  
  
Jon chuckled before he replied. "Well, good because he isn't, Sir."  
  
Captain Grey took over to fill in the missing links. "The Lieutenants are part of the Westerosi military delegation who's been doing combined training missions with ours the past couple of weeks, Sir. I was assigned as the liaison for the lieutenant's unit."  
  
"So that's where you've been sneaking off to every morning," Rhaegar joked.  
  
"Apologies, Sir."  
  
"No need, Grey; the order came from above my pay-grade." Looking back at Jon, he continued, "still doesn't quite answer my question though. You've been here for a fortnight already, yet I haven't seen you until now. Pretty sure I would've noticed Lieutenant Ghost and his stunning stature."  
  
"We're assigned with the medical ship which has been anchored by Yaros most of the time, Sir. Unlike the other units who are here to learn, we're here to work in case any of them would be in need of immediate medical care, Sir. Also, since this being the first time the two are doing training exercises in and on the water, we were there in case someone needed rescuing from the waters."  
  
"That explains it." The Crown Prince sent Jon a warm smile. "I've mainly been focusing on the cavalry so must admit I hadn't been fully updated on everything yet."  
  
"Wouldn't expect that you were, Sir." Jon looked back at Rhaegar with a hint of suspicion.  
  
"So you and Ghost are medics?"  
  
"We're rescue swimmers, Sir."  
  
"Ah, now that I can see his size being a perfect fit for." The Crown Prince grinned.  
  
"Indeed, Sir. He's built for it in fact," Jon answered with a proud smile. "Speaking of which, we were keeping an eye on the small rowboat out on the water. Still doesn't seem to be getting closer to shore despite the weather worsening."  
  
Rhaegar looked out in the direction Jon indicated. To his horror he recognised the passengers of said boat.  
  
"Captain Grey, do my eyes deceive me or is that my brother and Rakharo in a raggedy-ass dinghy?"   
  
"I'm afraid it is, Sir."  
  
"I know he wanted to take Rakharo out on the 'poison water' but—"  
  
"Sorry, Sir, did you say poisoned water?"  
  
"—it's what the Dothraki call salt water because their horses can't drink it. Rakharo is Dothraki," Rhaegar quickly explained.  
  
"Can he swim?"  
  
Grey re-joined the conversation. "No, Lieutenant, he cannot. But, it looks like he at least has a vest on."  
  
"With all due respect, Captain Grey, a vest will only keep him afloat; it won't keep him warm nor get him to shore," Jon warned. "Do you want us to go get them, Sir?"  
  
Rhaegar waived Commander Selmy over. "Take the Princess back to the Great Pyramid and get some medics down here asap." He then scooped little Nys up in his arms, gave her a big kiss on her cheek and said, "Barristan is going to take you back home now. Grey and I need to help Jon and his teddy-bear with something."  
  
"Will I see him again?"  
  
"We'll come say a proper goodbye before we leave, little Lady."  
  
"Pinky swear?"  
  
The Lieutenant's throat bobbed before he stepped closer and intertwined his pinky finger with Rhaenys'.  
  
She then reached her arms out towards Barristan who grabbed her with a big smile before turning and walking quickly up towards their vehicle.  
  
"Lieutenants, please go get my brother and his friend."  
  
"Aye Sir!" Jon turned on his heels, "Ghost, with me," and the two ran to the end of the jetty and jump into the dark waters of Dragon's Bay.  
  
"Grey, go alert the Lieutenant's commanding officer. I'll stay here to keep watch and see if he brings them ashore further up the beach."  
  
With a quick "yes, Sir!" the young Captain set off sprinting towards the other end of the harbour where the Westerosi fleet was docked.  
  
The wind was picking up speed and the waves quickly grew in size and strength. Reluctantly Rhaegar stayed still; helplessly watching the scene unfold out on the dangerous waters.  
  
Ghost reached the boat first, reaching his head up high to check on the men inside it. When Jon arrived close behind, he got a hold of the side of the boat and looked to be speaking with Vis and Rakharo.  
  
The frustrated Crown Prince started pacing back and forth while keeping an eye on the events on the water.  
  
As he feared things didn't go well. Rakharo wouldn't stay seated and kept trying to get up and out. Clearly making it difficult for both Jon and Vis to keep the boat steady. Just as it seemed they'd succeeded, a high wave hit them from the side and flipped the dinghy.  
  
There was a pained scream. Rhaegar looked around realising the scream must've come from himself. Frantically he searched for life in the stormy waters. Any sign of silver or black hair, or red vests. The need to jump in and swim to his brother's rescue was almost unbearable but he managed to restrain himself long enough to see the first glimpses of a big fury face popping out of the water. Ghost! If the dog was ok chances were the others might be as well.   
  
Rhaegar was clinging to every little glimmer of hope he could find. There! A silver-haired man appeared with Ghost. The dog was headed directly for the beach pulling Viserys behind him. Rhaegar wanted to run but he needed to see Jon and Rakharo first. Out of despair the Crown Prince sent a thought to the Dragon Lords of Old, begging them to help in any way possible.   
  
His eyes darted across the waters looking for any sign of life. Only sound in his ears where the pounding beat of his pulse. Lightning, thunder, wind - none of it mattered to Rhaegar anymore; he only cared about finding three men and a dog and bringing them home safely.  
  
A flash of red caught his eyes. Rakharo's vest. Behind him the battered dinghy was crushed against the rocks, and with horror Rhaegar noticed the scared Dothraki was being carried same way by the waves. Without warning something took hold of the red vest and pulled Rakharo under. Moments later he resurfaced with Jon battling to control the panic-stricken Dothraki.   
  
Rhaegar turned and ran up the jetty, past the closed restaurants and shops on the boardwalk, and sprinted as fast as he could down the beach to where Ghost was dragging a visibly shaken Viserys to safety.  
  
He panted as he reached his brother. "Vis! Are you ok, Vis?!"  
  
Viserys gave a weak nod, collapsing in the sand.   
  
Ghost immediately nudged him. Viserys grunted. Rhaegar helped him on his back and pulled him into an upright sitting position.  
  
Sitting in the cold wet sand, holding his weak brother, Rhaegar once again looked around helplessly. He patted Ghost on the head. "Good boy, Ghost. Good boy."  
  
Thankfully Grey and a crew of medics came charging down the beach towards them.  
  
As the medics took care of Viserys, Rhaegar quickly got back on his feet and sprinted the short distance to the rocks. Climbing up and over the wet, slippery rocks in a desperate attempt to reach Rakharo and Jon before it was too late. He didn't notice he'd lost his sandals on the jetty, nor how the sharp rocks cut his bare feet. As he reached the edge, the cold salty water splashed up every time a wave collided with the rocks. He once again caught a flash of red.  
  
Looking over the ridge Rhaegar locked eyes with Rakharo. Jon had a firm grip on him as he did his best to protect the Dothraki from the rocks and keep him out of the dangerous currents.  
  
When Rakharo saw the Crown Prince, he began physically fighting Jon to get closer to the cliff and up to Rhaegar. Acting on pure survival instinct he climbed on Jon, pressing the Lieutenant both further into the rocks and deeper into the water. As he made it out of the water he threw himself into Rhaegar's arms.  
  
As Rhaegar was checking on Rakharo, a black fluff-ball flew past them and into the crashing waves.  
  
Rhaegar practically tossed Rakharo aside and flung himself halfway over the cliff. Not far below Ghost was struggling to keep a badly wounded Jon afloat. The Crown Prince surveyed his surroundings. Luckily, Grey and a grey haired middle-aged man he didn't recognise had caught up to him on the rocks.  
  
"Help me! They're down here." He waved them over not sure they could hear him over the wind and crashing waves.  
  
Like earlier, Rhaegar was ready to jump in but Grey stopped him with a firm hand on the chest and a commanding look. So instead the young Captain stepped down onto the rocks, stretching himself as far as he could to get a hold of Jon. Catching an arm, he pulled - and Ghost did his best to nudge from below - and once Rhaegar and the other man could reach they pulled Jon's unresponsive body up and over the ridge.  
  
Grey grabbed Ghost by his neck, Ghost again trying to help to get up, Rhaegar caught hold of the dog's skin somewhere down its back. As they pulled the dog yelped in pain. Once up, Rhaegar quickly sat down with Ghost.  
  
"I'm so sorry about that, buddy, we needed to get you up." He ruffled the soaking wet fur. "But are you ok, Ghost? Are you hurt?"  
  
As if understanding every word, the dog shook his head, gave Rhaegar a big lick and then went straight to Jon.  
  
Grey and the other man were checking the Lieutenant.  
  
"He's breathing." Grey stated, clearly relieved.  
  
The grey-haired man shook his head in sadness, "damn it Jon. Don't make me call your mother."  
  
The medics came running up with a stretcher and quickly carried Jon off to the helicopter waiting on the beach.  


**\--- DAENERYS ---**

  
She knew something was wrong. Jon's voice was no longer singing in her head.  
  
He'd been hanging out with Ghost, singing 'row row row your boat' mixed in with some silliness about 'Ghost being the goodest boy with the biggest footsies and softest belly'.  
  
Then there'd been a break and soon after he'd been in the water. Jon always chanted the same line to himself whenever he was on his way to rescue anyone. She'd never explicitly told him she'd learned to recognise the pattern. Daenerys also knew Jon would sing to comfort the victims; usually silly songs to distract them from the danger and pain.  
  
Today though, the singing had stopped abruptly - and hadn't returned.  
  
From her terrace, on one of the higher levels of the Great Pyramid where her and the rest of the royal family lived, she'd been watching the storm over the bay. Usually Daenerys found comfort in the wind blowing in her face. But, Jon's silence was beginning to worry her.  
  
Fudge came over, nudged her and then laid down flat indicating there was an emergency.  
  
"What is it?" Dany asked.  
  
Fudge got up and quickly walked inside, turning at the terrace door to make sure Daenerys was following. Daenerys took the little box with her hearing aids out of her pocket, put one in each ear and followed Fudge to the hallway.  
  
An agitated Drogo was waiting for her by the door. "It's Your brothers," he signed.  
  
"I've put them in," she smiled, gently dapping an ear with an index finger, "and what about my brothers?"  
  
"Not sure yet, Princess, just been informed they're on their way to the hospital. They're being flown in apparently. Your parents are already at the Royal unit waiting for them."  


\----------

  
At the hospital all the noises quickly became too muddled for Daenerys to be able to keep up with the chatter. Instead she and Fudge made themselves comfortable in the little waiting area. The glass walls to each room made sure she had a full view of the craziness unfolding before her.  
  
In the large room directly ahead, Viserys was placed in a bed. From the looks of it he was a bit dishevelled but seemed otherwise ok. What caught Dany's attention was the fact that he was being scolded by their parents, Jorah, and Rhae. He must've done something really stupid this time to wake the wrath of those four. Especially Rhae; he was always so calm - the last one to lose his head.  
  
Drogo had stormed off to the room on the left where he'd wrapped his son in a tight embrace. The bopping of his shoulders indicated he cried as he kissed Rakharo's forehead. Father and son shared some words before Drogo stomped into Viserys' room like a mad bull. It took the King and Queen's own Dothraki guards to stop him and get him out into the hallway. Daenerys guessed they took him 'for a walk' to calm him down further.  
  
She patted Fudge sitting next to her. "This is bad Fudgy-boy. This is really bad."  
  
"It's definitely not good, Dany."  
  
She looked up to see Missandei's gentle face smiling down at her. Missandei was her best friend, a skilled nurse, and happened to be one of the few approved to work at the hospital's Royal unit.  
  
As her friend explained the situation, Dany's suspicion grew. Of course she'd noticed the helicopter activity right about the time Jon went silent. It was just a stupid coincidence. He wasn't even on the same continent as her. Was he? However, as Missandei filled her in on what Rhae and Grey had recounted, she was beginning to think she might know this man. Could that foolishly brave man be her Jon? Her soulmate Jon? She had to see for herself. But first—  
  
"Is Rakharo going to be ok?"  
  
"Physically yes." Missandei switched to signing to ease the communication for Dany. "The poor kid is pretty shaken up, and I'm sure his ego has taken a beating as well. Doubt he'll ever want to go near the poisoned water again."  
  
"All thanks to Vis?"  
  
"Mostly. Rakharo's not innocent either. He's 18 so he's old enough to say no—"  
  
"—but he's Drogo's son and want to show he's brave like his father."  
  
Missandei shook her head in amusement. "Though, to be fair, I'd probably have panicked too if I'd been in that little boat in the middle of a storm."  
  
"No wonder Drogo's so angry. He looked like he wanted to kill Viserys."  
  
"Can you blame him?"  
  
"No, but I think he'll have to get in line behind Mama, Papa, and Rhae," Daenerys sniggered.  
  
Crossing the hallway to Jon's room, her mother entered immediately after her and Missandei.  
  
"Boys! I swear to the dragons—" her mother fumed before stopping herself. She took a second to steady herself before speaking again. "My apologies. I'm told you're this brave young man's commanding officer?"  
  
At the end of the bed stood a grey-haired man watching them with kind brown eyes. Despite the casual outfit his aura excused authority. One look and Dany knew this man was used to carrying the heavy burden of duty. Next to him, on the bed, laid the biggest pile of fluffy black fur Dany had ever seen in her life. Despite her mother's outburst the man continued his work of gently rubbing some sort of ointments on palm-sized paws before wrapping them in bandages.  
  
"I'm Captain Davos Seaworth, Your Majesty. Captain of the medical ship M/s Mercy."  
  
"Oh, please forget the protocol for a minute, Captain. Just call me Rhaella."  
  
Daenerys couldn't believe what she was hearing. She signed Missandei to double check, only to find her friend was equally as astounded. The Queen rarely broke protocol. When she did it spoke volumes.  
  
"As you wish, Rhaella," Davos replied courtly. "I'm only his C.O. while here in Meereen. He's due to fly back to Castle Black tomorrow." He looked at Jon and sighed, "although I doubt he'll be travelling anywhere anytime soon."  
  
The Lieutenant's head was wrapped in a tight bandage covering his right eye. His torso was bared showing a criss-cross pattern of cuts and bruises; the newest ones covered with fresh bandages.  
  
"Castle Black? Have you travelled all this way to join these weeks training missions, Captain?" Rhaella asked slightly puzzled. "I was under the impression Westeros would be sending their southern fleet."  
  
"The Lieutenants were assigned to M/s Comfort in the Shivering Sea, Ma'am. From there they were ordered to join my team for the weeks in Dragon's Bay before reporting back to Commander Mormont at Castle Black for their next assignment."  
  
"If you don’t mind me asking, why move this particular pair around like that?"  
  
Captain Seaworth smiled like a proud father. "Because despite their young age, these two are some of the best we have, Ma’am."  
  
"Is that so?" The Queen sounded almost impressed.  
  
"The Westerosi Navy has 250 rescue swimmers. They are mainly assigned to major hubs such as Lannisport, Sunspear, Kings Landing and White Harbour but also to rescue and medical ships such as the one under my command, Ma’am. Together they cover all of the Westerosi coastlines plus the Shivering Sea and on occasion even into the Sunset Sea. Out of the 250 men and women swimmers only 50 are qualified as rescue dog units."   
  
That tidbit of information had the Queen look genuinely impressed.  
  
"This guy here," he stroked Ghost lovingly down his side, "can pull up to six grown men to safety in one go, he always knows the safest route out of the water and he doesn’t stop until everyone is safely out of the water. This guy here," he patted the Lieutenant’s foot, "is one of our strongest swimmers. He’s grown up around the warmest and coldest waters in Westeros. He reads waves and currents like a seasoned sailor. If saving a life means he’ll lose his he’ll happily make that sacrifice."  
  
Daenerys noticed how her mother’s eyes had softened and turned slightly red while the Captain had spoken. The Queen had wanted to say thank you but now the mother was fighting to keep her emotions under wraps. The eternal internal battle she’d seen her mother have whenever the roles of Queen and mother overlapped.   
  
The Captain seemed to be in his own little world staring down at his wounded boys in a hospital bed. "I know one day I’ll lose these two sweet knuckleheads but don’t think I’ll ever be ready."  
  
Clearly Rhaella wasn’t the only parent battling an unexpected wave of emotions.   
  
Her mother cleared her throat, "the Shivering Sea you say?"   
  
The Captain nodded.  
  
"Fitting for a man named Snow, I suppose," Rhaella mused.  
  
"Snow?"  
  
"That's the name he told my son. Is it not his name, Captain Seaworth?"  
  
The old Captain smiled softly. "It's the name his father gave him. It’s true that the guys in the unit call him 'Snow', but his actual name is Stark."  
  
Her mother nodded, stepping closer to the bed. With a gentle hand she swiped a few strands of black curls from Jon's forehead. She changed her focus to Missandei who was checking his bandages.  
  
"How is he holding up? Has his next-of-kin been contacted yet?"  
  
"All things considered, Ma'am, he's in better shape than initially feared."  
  
Rhaella raised an eyebrow and looked at Missandei expectantly.  
  
"Lieutenant Sn—" she glanced at the Captain Seaworth, "—Stark, broke four ribs, punctured a lung, has multiple cuts and stab wounds from the rocks on his torso and some superficial ones on his arms and hands - and last but not least, a possible damaged right eye, Ma'am."  
  
Dany couldn't hear what her mother mumbled, though judging by her body language and the badly hidden smiles on Missandei and Captain Seaworth's faces, she guessed they were 'un-Queenly' words. Turning on her heels, reaching the door in two strides her mother called for Rhae.  
  
Meeting her eldest son in the doorway, the Queen turned to the Captain again.  
  
"Where can we reach his family, Captain?"  
  
"His mother is Lyanna Stark, homicide detective with Lannisport PD, and his sister, Arya, is studying at Braavos University, Ma'am."  
  
"—and his father?"  
  
"He died when Jon was a teenager," Daenerys answered without thinking.  
  
They all stared at her, surprised etched in every face.  
  
While the others had been speaking she'd studied Jon's forearms. Beneath the cuts and bruises his right arm was covered in little notes - 'call mum', 'bday gift 4 Arya', 'bloody sand!', 'Ghost vet @(scratch-mark)', 'msg Robb', 'to read:(long stitched up wound), 'airport @1400'.   
  
His left arm still had parts of a drawing on it - her drawing. Jon had sung to her about Ghost feeling overheated, so she'd made a little drawing for him on her arm, showing a wolf chilling on a block of ice and a large dragon shielding it from the hot sun above. She could still make out the dragon and wolf heads on Jon's arm.  
  
All signs pointed to this brave idiot being the man Daenerys suspected him to be; making him her brave idiot. Now all she had to do was prove it.  
  
"I know him." Daenerys spoke quietly, gazing at her mother standing in the doorway.  
  
Rhaella looked at her, then to Missandei, then back to Daenerys; her violet eyes giving nothing away as she turned to speak to Rhaegar.  
  
"Please show Captain Seaworth to the office and call the Lieutenant's mother and sister to inform them of the situation. Then book them tickets or use our plane to get them - whichever gets them here the fastest."  
  
As both Rhae and the Captain nodded and walked off, Rhaella sent Missandei a pointed look.   
  
"Did you know about this?"  
  
"No, Ma'am."  
  
With a sly smile and a small nudge with the head, Rhaella let Missandei know she was off the hook.

Since Daenerys befriended the orphaned Missandei as a little girl, the two had been like sisters to each other. Rhaella loved Missandei like her own, and the King and Queen had all but officially adopted Missandei and her two brothers. 

Missandei nuzzled Ghost’s head as she passed him. At the door Rhaella sent her off with a hug and a kiss on her curly mop of hair. 

Closing the door, her mother moved over a chair and took a seat by Ghost. Rhaella stroked the dog’s big gentle face with such tenderness Daenerys found herself wishing it was her being touched like that. 

"My eldest son tells me you’re the hero who saved his brother." The dog blink droopily. "Then jumped in after Jon as well." She looked at the dog’s bandaged paws. "I promise we’ll do everything we can to get you and Jon back up on your feet again as soon as possible." 

Ghost caught Rhaella off guard and gave her a big sloppy lick on the side of her beautiful face. 

"Oh!" was all her mother said before a surprising burst of laughter escaped her. 

Barely able to contain her own laughter, Daenerys managed to find some wet wipes and a bottle of hand sanitizer which were both on Jon’s nightstand, and hand them to her mother. 

Once they’d both caught their breath again, Rhaella looked at her expectantly. With a playful smile on her lips and a sparkle in her eye, she asked, "so..are you going to tell your mama about this boy you’ve met?"

"I don’t know how to explain it," she signed back.

A moment later she was wrapped in a loving embrace. Daenerys hugged her mama tightly. She hadn't realised how affected she was by the evening's events. It finally hit her that she could've lost her brother and her soulmate in one sweep. Two men she'd known her entire life. Two men she loved dearly. Ok, so one was more of a happy-go-lucky type than the other, but she knew both their hearts and neither held anything but kindness in them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Daenerys saw her Papa standing in the hallway, watching them through the glass wall, a soft smile gracing his lips. He signed 'I love you', and then switched the glass from see-through to opaque to give the two privacy. 

"Don’t explain it, honeybun. Tell me what you know."

"You’ll think I’m crazy," Daenerys mumbled avoiding her mother's eyes.

"Never." 

Rhaella gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and guided her to the sofa over by the wall.

Being the Royal unit of Meereen's main hospital the rooms were of course larger than the regular rooms. It was spacious, lit with natural light, decorated with warm colours and soft furniture. Not the clinical, cold decor Daenerys had seen elsewhere.

Fudge was standing halfway between the sofa and the bed. Casting a glance at Ghost before looking up at Daenerys, the tip of his tail wagging hesitantly. 

"Yes, go say hello to Ghost."

With Daenerys' permission, the floppy-eared boy jumped onto the chair and reached his face up to the bulk of black fluff on the bed. The two wagged their tails excitedly, happy to make a new acquaintance.

"For the record," Rhaella stated sternly, eyes fixed pointedly at the two dogs, "my tolerance for boyish dumbassery is currently so overdrawn the bank has blacklisted me, so behave."

There was a moment of silence as the two dogs stared back at the Queen. Fudge then made the wise choice of curling himself up in the chair and going to sleep. Ghost moved his head slightly, resting it on Jon's ankle. 

Daenerys scratched her ear lightly. Sometimes the hearing aids made her ears itch.

"Why don't you take them out, darling?" her mother signed. "Give your ears a break."

"No. It's too quiet without him." Daenerys felt more than heard her own voice break.

Once again her mother pulled Daenerys into her arms. "How so?"

"He sings to me." 

She waited for an outburst of some kind but nothing happened. Only thing she felt from her mother was loving patience, so Daenerys continued. 

"I hear Jon's voice in my head everytime he sings. Everything he hears through headphones I hear as well. Ironically," she breathed out a small laugh, "to make his calls private he puts them on speaker."

"Ironic indeed," her mother agreed with a soft laugh.

Daenerys stared at the bed a few feet away. She shivered seeing Jon hooked up to machines to help him breathe, monitoring his heart rate and blood pressure. A tube inserted through his ribs to help inflate his lung. A drop administering pain medication in measured intervals. She remembered what had caused her mother to ask her about Jon.

"We were seventeen when his father died. He went silent for the better part of a year." Her vision blurred from unshed tears. "It was the loneliest year of my life." 

"Shh...let it out, sweetheart." Her mother rocked her like when Daenerys was a child. "He'll be alright soon."

"How can you be so sure, Mama?" Dany sniffed.

"You've met my youngest son, right?" Rhaella asked rhetorically earning her a watery chuckle from Daenerys. "This isn't my first rodeo, Dany-girl. That boy has been in a hospital bed more times than I care to remember." She sighed. "You heard Missandei, he's broken a few ribs and punctured a lung. I'm not a doctor, however based on experience with your brother I'd say both would take about two months to fully heal. Depending on how well he heals he may need some sort of physical therapy to help him get back to proper shape for his line of work. Only thing that truly worries me is how much damage has been done to his eye."

Dany looked up at her mother.

With her thumb, Rhaella wiped the tears from her daughter's worried face. "He's going to be alright, Dany. You hear me?"

Daenerys nodded. Her mother's eyes burned with the famous Targaryen determination. When everyone else lost hope, Targaryens kept moving forward becoming the hope others needed. Right now that's what her mother did for her, and Dany clung to it like Rakharo had been clinging to Jon hours earlier.

"Why does Vis always get into so much trouble anyway?"

"Because your brother is a smartass and the only way for him to learn is by getting injured." Her mother shrugged. "It's his nature. Just like it seems to be Jon's nature to put other people's safety above his own."

"He has a good heart, Mama."

Rhaella gave Dany a little squeeze. "Tell me more about him."

All night her mother listened to her gush about this brave fool of a man with a heart of gold. 

Dany spoke of how Jon would sing good morning to her and at night sing her to sleep. When she, bookworm that she is, told him she couldn't find the Westerosi literary classics, he'd borrowed the audiobook versions at his local library just for her. About the time he made up a silly coconut song to cheer her up, and how he would sing it every time she felt a bit blue. 

Some time during the night, Aerys stopped by with a pot of tea and sandwiches. He'd pointed to the armchair, silently asking permission to join them. With no objections from neither Dany nor Rhaella he has sat down and quietly listened to their conversation.

In her early teenage years Dany had lost her last ability to hear. Born hard-of-hearing she'd always heard the world more subdued than the rest of her family. Through Jon, she'd heard everything crystal clear - and strangely she'd always been able to hear him. Unlike some, Daenerys didn't mind being deaf. She liked being able to literally tune the world out by removing her hearing aids. 

Between losing her last ability to hear and getting hearing aids she'd learned to enjoy the silence, and enjoying her own inner world. However, a couple of years ago she admitted to Jon there were a few things she missed being able to hear. He'd asked for a shortlist and soon after he'd played songs of birds chirping and singing - it had been the second item on the list.

"What was number one?" Aerys asked hesitantly.

"My family's voices."

With that reply, her parents made no attempts to hide their tears.

When Jon's voice started changing he'd been embarrassed to sing. Dany told him not to worry because his voice was her favourite sound. With that encouragement he'd been singing to her everyday except for the time after his father died. 

"It was the loneliest I've ever felt, but..at the same time it felt like he shared his grief with me. In his silence I could feel how heartbroken he was. When he slowly began responding to my messages again, I could tell how hard he was fighting to patch his heart and world back together."

Aerys got up, wrapped a thick blanket around Dany's shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. He kissed his wife goodnight and stopped by the bed to pet Fudge and Ghost. He placed a gentle hand on Jon's hand and sighed.  
  
"You sound like quite a man, Jon Snow; I can't wait to get to know you." 

With that Aerys left the room as sudden and quietly as he'd entered.

  
**\--- LYANNA ---**

  
"We keep him sedated to minimize his pain so don't be concerned when he doesn't respond to your touch."

"I understand. Thank you—," Lyanna trailed off and raised her brows in question.

"—Missandei."

"Thank you, Missandei."

Detective Stark leaned in closer to her son's expressionless face. 

"If you die your sister's going to want to kill you." She glanced at the monitor but there was no change. Narrowing her eyes she whispered in a wry tone, "—and I'll let her try."

Instantly Jon's heart rate and blood pressure spiked. 

"There's my boy," Lyanna stated proudly. She caressed his cheek with tender fingertips. "Rest, my little wolf. We're here. You just rest and heal. We'll still be here when you wake up." 

Again, Jon' reaction was instant. This time the heart rate and blood pressure fell and stabilized quickly. Even his breathing slowed indicating he was calm and at ease.

"I've never seen anything like that before." Missandei stared at her, clearly amazed.

"People like to know who's around them and what's happening." She ran a hand down Jon's bruised arm. "Don't you talk to the patients?"

The young nurse blushed and fiddled with her papers. Avoiding Lyanna's eyes she muttered, "there's a doctor who told me to, and I quote, 'stop that nonsense'."

"Who?" the King growled from the doorway. Missandei looked mortified that he'd overheard her mumbled confession. He shrugged, "you don't have to tell me. If I were to guess I'd say it's the doctor the board has received multiple complaints about already."

Judging by the young woman's silence, Lyanna wagered the King was correct.

"Regardless," Lyanna interjected, "I'd recommend you try it. It certainly won't hurt your patients. Besides," she glanced at the King, "a healthy dose of disobedience is good for the soul." She winked at Missandei who giggled in response.

The King's eyes sparkled with amusement, but his face stayed neutral until the nurse had left the room. 

"Dragons help us, if Vis ever hear you say that things will quickly go from bad to worse," he shuttered comically. "Come, meet my wife and daughter." The King gestured to the two silver-haired women sitting quietly in the sofa at the opposite side of the room.

In the early morning hours the King had been at the private runway to personally welcome Lyanna. In a few days Arya would arrive from Braavos having finished her last exam of the semester. Lyanna knew her daughter had spoken at length with her aunt Catelyn, a doctor herself, and decided it was ok to wait since Jon's condition wasn't life-threatening.

Upon arrival the King had informed her that his wife, the Queen, insisted on greeting and treating her - and Arya when she lands - as family; meaning no formalities would or should be upheld between them except in public. Detective Stark humbly accepted not sure if it was purely because of Jon's actions or if there was more to it.

At the hospital she'd met Prince Viserys and his husband Hizdar who was very grateful for Jon's heroic act. Shortly after the Prince had been discharged and sent home to rest for a couple more days. His personal guard Jorah vowing to not let him out of sight.

Next she'd been invited to meet Rakharo and his father Drogo, who, to her surprise, was also the personal guard of the Princess. However, under current circumstances he'd been given time off to spend with his son. Lyanna couldn't help but notice how visibly shaken the young man still appeared to be. He'd take a long time to recover from the trauma - if ever. 

Now in Jon's room, as she and Aerys crossed to the sofa, she was greeted with Ghost's excited whining. So far he'd been on his best behaviour staying put on his large blanket placed by the sofa. Seeing Lyanna moving towards him though made the dog want to get up. Lyanna snapped her fingers and gave him a stern look. Ghost settled with sitting on his blanket, giving the best puppy-eyes look he could. 

As when she first entered the room, Lyanna once again ignored the Targaryen royalty, this time to focus on her son's dog. If the Valyrians wanted her to treat them like family, that would include them occasionally being overshadowed by a dog. 

"You've been such a good boy, Ghosty lad. Yes, you have. Yes, you have." Lyanna kneeled in front of Ghost and nuzzled and ruffled him thoroughly, speaking in a playful, light tone. "I'm so happy to see you too. I am. Yes, I am; but you need to stay off your little footsies. They need to heal properly otherwise you and aquaman over there won't do much good next time you jump into the deep end of the pool."

She rested her forehead against Ghost's like she would any two-legged family member. She gave him a big kiss and narrowly avoided having her entire face licked in return. Behind her, Lyanna heard a small choir of chuckles and suppressed laughter.

A smaller, wet snout nudged her hand. Turning to see who it was, Lyanna was met by soft chocolate eyes that instantly melted her heart. A tan-cloured tail moved slowly from side to side, sweeping the floor where he sat. 

"Aww, who's this little well-mannered fellow?"

Fudge yapped.

"That's a good name. Perfect fit." Lyanna smiled, as the dog leaned into her touch. "Have to say you have gorgeous ears, my friend. Absolutely adorable."

"As a puppy he'd often trip and fall over them," Rhaella chimed in.

"Ears, feet," Lyanna cast a glance at Ghost, "other small animals - same difference."

The Queen smiled knowingly. "Come have a seat, Detective. Have you had anything to eat since you landed?"

"Thank you, and no Ma'am, I haven't."

The Queen frowned slightly. "We'll have something brought up, meanwhile we'll start with some tea; and Detective Stark, feel free to call me Rhaella."

"Detective and Ma'am or Lyanna and Rhaella. You're choice. Either or, can't mix and match."

Lyanna felt the eyes on her and the Queen. Evidently the King and Princess were intrigued to see the outcome of this 'stand-off'.

"Wasn't my intention to invite you to a dance this early, Lyanna, however I see your point." Rhaella sent her a crooked smile, clearly amused at being challenged. "Care to join my daughter and I on the sofa?"

"Lyanna, I'm not entirely sure I understand what you just did, but would you mind teaching me?" Aerys jested.

Rhaella waved him off, "oh, hush."

The King still chuckled as he left the room - to have some food brought up presumably. 

"Hi. I'm Lyanna, Jon's mother," she signed. "Excuse me for being forward, but are you Dany?"

Both Daenerys and Rhaella were taken aback. 

"Y-yes," Dany stammered out loud. "You know about me?"

"I've known about you since your 10th birthday." Lyanna restrained herself from hugging Dany. There was so much she wanted to tell her so much she deserved to know. "—and sorry, I didn't expect you to wear hearing aids."

"You know Essosi sign language," Dany stated baffled.

"Why are you ladies still standing?" Aerys was back with a tray of assorted breads and condiments.

They all took a seat as Aerys sorted the food by silently gesturing to each of the women, and making a circular motion with his fingers down towards the table. 

"Dany," Lyanna reached out for the young woman's hand, "my son has told me about you since he received your first little scribble." 

"—but I don't.." Dany trailed off.

"—you don't have his notes on your arm, I know." Lyanna smiled and squeezed Dany's dainty hand. "You hear his voice in your head."

All three Targaryens froze and stared at Lyanna in silent surprise. 

"He confessed when he was about thirteen. His voice was changing but he kept singing and doing that little chant thing he does." To her delight Dany chuckled, knowing exactly what Lyanna was referring to. "I'd ask him why he didn't rest his voice; I know from my brothers that until the voice settles the throat is sore, like having a year-long cold."

In the armchair next to her, Aerys nodded. "True, it can be quite painful at times."

"It took some coaxing, but eventually he told us and had a little back-and-forth with you to demonstrate to his dad and I that it was true."

"How did he convince you?" Rhaella asked, sipping her tea.

"He sang a particular song and had Dany write the next lines." Lyanna locked eyes with Dany. "A lullaby Arthur, my husband, made especially for Jon and Arya"

"—and Dany apparently," Rhaella quipped.

Lyanna laughed, "unknowingly, yes."

Sitting between them, Dany sipped her tea quietly. Eyes glued to Jon. Lyanna had an inkling to how the Princess might be feeling at the moment. She knew the pain of losing a soulmate and it was clear that Dany was contemplating how close it had come to that. Lyanna wanted to lighten the Princess' mood. 

She gently rubbed her shoulder against Dany's. "Can I tell you a secret?"

The silver-haired young woman nodded eagerly.

"The audiobooks weren't just for you." Dany frowned in confusion, so Lyanna quickly continued. "Books and Jon have never been the best of friends. He can read well enough. Now. But, he picked it up at a slower pace than his friends. When he played the audio for you, he'd often have the printed version in front of him reading along for himself. Years later I could find him reading aloud to his younger cousins."

Dany's eyes sparkled with pride and joy, "Bran and Rickon."

"You know their names?" Rhaella asked stunned.

"—and their voices, Mama."

"How exactly?" This time it was Aerys who was puzzled.

"Sometimes Jon would connect his headphones to his phone and record little videos of our family. That way he'd share all the sounds with your daughter," Lyanna smiled lightly, as if it was the most simple concept in the world.

"Huh, I see." He took a heavy swig of his tea. "Well, colour me surprised."

Dany and Lyanna shared another laugh.

"Well, excuse me ladies," Aerys chuckled in defence, "you've both had years to understand this. We're only just learning of it now."

"I know," Lyanna answered in a more serious tone. "It wasn't until a few years ago, Jon told us that Dany's deaf. He understood how difficult it would be for you to have people believe you. Possibly even you," she gestured to Dany's parents, "he - we - didn't know how you'd take it." 

Both Rhaella and Aerys nodded in understanding, listening carefully to what she was telling them about their future son-in-law.

"With that in mind he wanted you to at least know and feel that you're welcome in our family," Lyanna continued, wrapping an arm around Dany's shoulders. "So he sat us down, including my brother Ned and his family, and told us you're deaf and said, if we wanted to, he'd be happy to teach us sign language so we could converse with you. That way you wouldn't depend on having him around - in case he was called out - nor need an interpreter."

Dany half smiled, half laughed through tears. "He did that just for me?"

"Just for you, Dany dear, just for you." 

This time Lyanna hugged Dany fully and added a forehead kiss to the mix. This was her son's soulmate, her future daughter-in-law. She'd cared deeply for this girl-turned-woman for years. Finally she got to hold her in her arms. 

"You've raised a remarkable young man, Lyanna. Thank you," Aerys patted her knee like a coach would pat his star-player on the back.

At the other end of the sofa, Rhaella was dabbing tears away with a tissue. "So you didn't know about Fudge?" The little cocker lifted its head upon hearing his name. 

"Fudge?" Lyanna asked, "Oh! Ha, no Jon never mentioned him."

Dany smirked. "He taught you to sign without telling you I had assistance. Sneaky."

"A healthy dose of disobedience is good for the soul," Aerys said wryly, quoting Lyanna's own words back to her.

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "Exactly!"

  
**\--- DAENERYS ---**

"—and then Arya burst out 'so he gets a hurricane Princess while I get a blacksmith orphan?', then she shrugged and said 'I'm ok with that'."

Jon shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I know I know, typical Arya, right?" 

He nodded in response to her question. 

"Well, I still think it's funny."

A couple of weeks had past and both Arya and Lyanna had left. Jon's wounds were healing up nicely so he'd been moved to Dany's suite at the Great Pyramid. 

He'd gradually been allowed to speak again. From having been merely a pained whisper his voice was slowly gaining strength as his lung and ribs healed. 

Dany was laying in bed beside him, tenderly tracing the scar across his eye. "What will you do if you don't get your full vision back?"

"I'll find something else to do. Simple." 

"Where?"

"Wherever you are, Dany. You're my home."

Those eyes, that easy smile, that husky voice. Dany was defenceless. With a sigh, she leaned in for a soft, lingering kiss. 

Leaning back on her elbow, she removed her hearing aids and placed them in the case on the nightstand. Dany laid her head down on Jon's shoulder and whispered, "sing for me, my love."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it and that my changes didn't rub you the wrong way. Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your patience, Zane <3
> 
> Btw, in case you were wondering: In the military the dogs are assigned same rank as their handler, thus Ghost has same rank as what I gave Jon.


End file.
